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RADOR: News from Romania, 97-10-21
October 21, 1997
CONTENTS
[01] Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn on a Visit to Romania
[02] Revolutionary Protests
[03] New Planes for TAROM
[04] IMF Negotiator Poul Thomsen Is in Romania Again
[05] An IMF Delegation Will Come to Bucharest
[06] An American General on a Visit to Romania
[07] Weather in Romania
[08] Currency Rates
[01] Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn on a visit to Romania
"I came to Bucharest convinced that important steps in the development of
Romanian-Hungarian relations can be made", Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula
Horn declared after the first round of official talks with his Romanian
counterpart Victor Ciorbea on Monday. In his turn, the Romanian prime
minister described the visit as crucial for the implementation of the
active partnership between the two countries. An accord of tourist
cooperation between Romania and Hungary was signed in Bucharest, the two
prime ministers attending the ceremony.
On a two-day visit to Romania, the Hungarian prime minister is accompanied
by a numerous delegation of businessmen. The major issue to be discussed is
the economic dimention of bilateral ties such as trade exchanges,
investment and cooperation in banking, the construction of highways and a
Bucharest-Budapest railway. RRI-RADOR, October 21
[02] Revolutionary protests
About 50 participants in the 1989 Romanian revolution have been on a hunger
strike for more than two weeks. Among other things, they demand the
withdrawal of the draft law amending the current one now under debates in
parliament. One of the protesters declared that other revolutionaries will
start a hunger strike tomorrow. Ion Diaconescu, the speaker of the House of
Deputies in Romanian Parliament and president of the National Christian-
Democrat Peasant Party (PNT-CD), said on Monday that the revolutionaries
had put up more claim after havong been incited by some politicians, former
Romanian President Ion Iliescu included. PNT-CD secretary general Radu
Vasile has mentioned that the latest claims have a political character.
RRI- RADOR, October 21
[03] New planes for TAROM
Secretary of State Aleodor Francu, the head of Civil Airlines Department in
Romanian Transport Ministry declared that short courier planes Antonov 24
belonging to TAROM will be gradually replaced by ATR 42 500 planes made by
Air International, a French, Italian and English consortium. Mr. Francu
said in an interview that the Governmment has granted a 29 million USD
credit allowing TAROM to purchase the first two ATR 42 500 turbojets to be
delivered in November.(RADOR)
[04] IMF negotiator Poul Thomsen is in Romania again
An IMF delegation, headed by the chief negotiator Poul Thomsen is again in
Bucharest for routine talks with Romanian authoritie. Referring to the
talks, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea said: "We are preparing
negotiations aimed at reaching a three-year agreement to replace the one-
year memorandum. World Bank representatives will come to end discussions
concerning programmes and loans that the previous government has agreed
without using them". Romanian Finance Minister Mircea Ciumara declared that
the meetings were aimed at assuring Romanian authorities that "the 1998
budget could include all IMF financing". According to the BBC (October 20,
6:12 hours), Mr. Ciumara concluded it was "a simple technical
consultation". RADOR, October 21
[05] An IMF delegation will come to Bucharest
Between October 20-28, an IMF delegation, government officials and Romanian
National Bank (BNR) representantives are analysing the way the macro-
stabilization programme and structural reform are implemented as part of
the stand-by agreement. A BNR communique says that especially the latest
evolutions and the 1997 last quarter's forecast are to be examined. The
mission will also discuss the 1998 programme and, in December this year,
when an IMF commission will return to Bucharest, the final framework of the
stand-by agreement for the next year will be decided. RADOR, October 21
[06] An American general on a visit to Romania
General Joseph W. Ralston, Deputy Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff,
will visit Romania between October 22-24, the US embassy announced
yesterday. Together with Rmanian Defence Minister Victor Babiuc, the
Romanian Army Chief of Staff Constantin Degeratu and other military and
political officials in Romania, general Ralston will tackle the issue of
strengthening Romania's strategic partnership with the US. RRI-RADOR,
October 21
[07] Weather in Romania
Weather in Romania will be colder and sunny in most of the coutry. Rain
falls ae forecast in Central and Northern Romania. Temperature will range
from -2 centigrades in the morning to 16 centigrades a noon. RADOR,
October 21
[08] Currency rates
1 USD = 7,712 lei; 1 DEM = 4,356 lei; 1 CHF = 5,237 lei; 1 FRF = 1,300 lei;
1 GBP = 12,594 lei; 1 XEU = 8,578 lei. RADOR, October 21
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